Cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a matched controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Post-operative cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may augment the effects of DBS, but previous results are conflicting. Here, we investigated whether CBT augments the effect of DBS for OCD. METHOD: Patients with and without CBT following DBS of the ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule were included. First, we analyzed Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) scores before, during and after CBT in all patients with CBT. Second, we matched patients with and without CBT based on clinical baseline variables and initial response to DBS and compared the course of Y-BOCS and HAM-D scores over the same timeframe. RESULTS: In total, 36 patients with and 16 patients without CBT were included. Average duration of CBT was 10.4 months (s.d. 6.4). In the 36 patients with CBT, Y-BOCS scores decreased on average by 3.8 points (14.8%) from start until end of CBT (p = 0.043). HAM-D scores did not decrease following CBT. Second, 10 patients with CBT were matched to 10 patients without CBT. In both groups, Y-BOCS scores decreased equally from start until end of CBT or over a similar timeframe (10% in CBT group v. 13.1% in no-CBT group, p = 0.741). CONCLUSIONS: Obsessive-compulsive symptoms decreased over time in patients with and without post-operative CBT. Therefore, further improvement may be attributed to late effects of DBS itself. The present study emphasizes the need for prospective randomized controlled studies, examining the effects of CBT.

Patient specific intracranial neural signatures of obsessions and compulsions in the ventral striatum.

Objective. Deep brain stimulation is a treatment option for patients with refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder. A new generation of stimulators hold promise for closed loop stimulation, with adaptive stimulation in response to biologic signals. Here we aimed to discover a suitable biomarker in the ventral striatum in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder using local field potentials.Approach.We induced obsessions and compulsions in 11 patients undergoing deep brain stimulation treatment using a symptom provocation task. Then we trained machine learning models to predict symptoms using the recorded intracranial signal from the deep brain stimulation electrodes.Main results.Average areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve were 62.1% for obsessions and 78.2% for compulsions for patient specific models. For obsessions it reached over 85% in one patient, whereas performance was near chance level when the model was trained across patients. Optimal performances for obsessions and compulsions was obtained at different recording sites.Significance. The results from this study suggest that closed loop stimulation may be a viable option for obsessive-compulsive disorder, but that intracranial biomarkers are patient and not disorder specific.Clinical Trial:Netherlands trial registry NL7486.

The relationship between cognitive functioning and psychopathology in patients with psychiatric disorders: a transdiagnostic network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with psychiatric disorders often experience cognitive dysfunction, but the precise relationship between cognitive deficits and psychopathology remains unclear. We investigated the relationships between domains of cognitive functioning and psychopathology in a transdiagnostic sample using a data-driven approach. METHODS: Cross-sectional network analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships between domains of psychopathology and cognitive functioning and detect clusters in the network. This naturalistic transdiagnostic sample consists of 1016 psychiatric patients who have a variety of psychiatric diagnoses, such as depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. Psychopathology symptoms were assessed using various questionnaires. Core cognitive domains were assessed with a battery of automated tests. RESULTS: Network analysis detected three clusters that we labelled: general psychopathology, substance use, and cognition. Depressive and anxiety symptoms, verbal memory, and visual attention were the most central nodes in the network. Most associations between cognitive functioning and symptoms were negative, i.e. increased symptom severity was associated with worse cognitive functioning. Cannabis use, (subclinical) psychotic experiences, and anhedonia had the strongest total negative relationships with cognitive variables. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive functioning and psychopathology are independent but related dimensions, which interact in a transdiagnostic manner. Depression, anxiety, verbal memory, and visual attention are especially relevant in this network and can be considered independent transdiagnostic targets for research and treatment in psychiatry. Moreover, future research on cognitive functioning in psychopathology should take a transdiagnostic approach, focusing on symptom-specific interactions with cognitive domains rather than investigating cognitive functioning within diagnostic categories.

Effectiveness and safety of deep brain stimulation for patients with refractory obsessive compulsive disorder and comorbid autism spectrum disorder; A case series.

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective for patients with treatment refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is present in up to a third of all patients with OCD, but it is unknown whether effectiveness of DBS for OCD also applies for patients with comorbid ASD. The present case series is the first to examine effectiveness on OCD symptoms and safety of DBS in patients with OCD and ASD specifically. METHODS: Six consecutive patients with treatment-refractory OCD and comorbid ASD received DBS of the ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule (vALIC) or medial forebrain bundle (MFB). We examined effectiveness of DBS on symptoms of OCD and depression with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), respectively. We included qualitative data to describe the course of treatment in individual patients with OCD and ASD. RESULTS: We found that DBS significantly decreased symptoms of OCD (p < .001) and depression (p = .007). Four out of six patients with OCD and comorbid ASD were responders (decrease ≥ 35% in Y-BOCS), one patient was partial-responder (decrease 25-35% in Y-BOCS) and one patient did not respond (decrease ≤ 25% in Y-BOCS). Serious adverse events were an infection of the DBS system, and a suicide attempt. CONCLUSIONS: Though present results are preliminary, DBS reduced symptoms of OCD and depression in patients with OCD and comorbid ASD. Comorbid ASD should therefore not be seen as a contra-indication for DBS in OCD.

Predicting Response to vALIC Deep Brain Stimulation for Refractory Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is effective in half of patients, but also is invasive and labor-intensive.Objective: Selecting probable responders beforehand would more optimally allocate treatment resources and prevent patients' disappointment. Some centers use clinical and demographic predictors to exclude patients from DBS treatment, but the evidence base remains uncertain.Methods: This observational cohort study examined the association of baseline demographic and disease characteristics with a 1-year prospective course of OCD and depressive symptoms in a cohort of 70 consecutive patients who received DBS of the ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule (vALIC-DBS) for OCD according to DSM-IV or DSM-5 criteria between April 2005 and October 2017. Baseline characteristics and symptom decrease were analyzed using Fisher exact tests and binary logistic regression to examine whether they could predict individual response (> 35% reduction in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score and 50% reduction in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score, respectively).Results: Insight into illness was the only significant predictor of individual response, with a positive predictive value of 84.4%, while the negative predictive value was 44.0% (b = 0.247, χ21 = 5.259, P = .022). Late-onset OCD was associated with more symptom decrease (ß = -0.29; 95% CI, -0.53 to -0.04; P = .023) and comorbid personality disorder with less symptom decrease over time (ß = 0.88; 95% CI -0.29 to 1.47; P = .004), but they could not significantly predict vALIC-DBS response. A later age at onset, comorbid personality disorder, and insight into illness were associated with clinical outcomes after vALIC-DBS, but predictive values were not large enough to facilitate clinical patient selection.Conclusions: Clinical and demographic factors cannot yet predict outcome and should not be used to exclude patients from treatment with vALIC-DBS. These first individual prediction analyses for vALIC-DBS response in OCD are important, given that some centers up until now still exclude patients based on clinical characteristics such as comorbid personality disorders.

Deep brain stimulation response in obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with preoperative nucleus accumbens volume.

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a new treatment option for patients with therapy-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Approximately 60% of patients benefit from DBS, which might be improved if a biomarker could identify patients who are likely to respond. Therefore, we evaluated the use of preoperative structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting treatment outcome for OCD patients on the group- and individual-level. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we analyzed preoperative MRI data of a large cohort of patients who received DBS for OCD (n = 57). We used voxel-based morphometry to investigate whether grey matter (GM) or white matter (WM) volume surrounding the DBS electrode (nucleus accumbens (NAc), anterior thalamic radiation), and whole-brain GM/WM volume were associated with OCD severity and response status at 12-month follow-up. In addition, we performed machine learning analyses to predict treatment outcome at an individual-level and evaluated its performance using cross-validation. RESULTS: Larger preoperative left NAc volume was associated with lower OCD severity at 12-month follow-up (pFWE < 0.05). None of the individual-level regression/classification analyses exceeded chance-level performance. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that patients with larger NAc volumes show a better response to DBS, indicating that DBS success is partly determined by individual differences in brain anatomy. However, the results also indicate that structural MRI data alone does not provide sufficient information to guide clinical decision making at an individual level yet.

Invasive and Non-invasive Neurostimulation for OCD.

It becomes increasingly clear that (non-)invasive neurostimulation is an effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this chapter we review the available evidence on techniques and targets, clinical results including a meta-analysis, mechanisms of action, and animal research. We focus on deep brain stimulation (DBS), but also cover non-invasive neurostimulation including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Data shows that most DBS studies target the ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS), with an overall 76% response rate in treatment-refractory OCD. Also TMS holds clinical promise. Increased insight in the normalizing effects of neurostimulation on cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical (CSTC) loops - through neuroimaging and animal research - provides novel opportunities to further optimize treatment strategies. Advancing clinical implementation of neurostimulation techniques is essential to ameliorate the lives of the many treatment-refractory OCD patients.

Deep brain stimulation versus ablative surgery for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Ablative surgery (ABL) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) are last-resort treatment options for patients suffering from treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of this study was to conduct an updated meta-analysis comparing the clinical outcomes of the ablative procedures capsulotomy and cingulotomy and deep brain stimulation. METHODS: We conducted a PubMed search to identify all clinical trials on capsulotomy, cingulotomy, and DBS. Random effects meta-analyses were performed on 38 articles with a primary focus on efficacy in reducing OCD symptoms as measured by a reduction in the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score and the responder rate (≥35% reduction in Y-BOCS score). RESULTS: With responder rates of 48% and 53% after 12-16 months and 56% and 57% at last follow-up for ABL and DBS, respectively, and large effect sizes in the reduction in Y-BOCS scores, both surgical modalities show effectiveness in treating refractory OCD. Meta-regression did not show a statistically significant difference between ABL and DBS regarding these outcomes. Regarding adverse events, a statistically significant higher rate of impulsivity is reported in studies on DBS. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis shows equal efficacy of ABL and DBS in the treatment of refractory OCD. For now, the choice of intervention should, therefore, rely on factors such as risk of developing impulsivity, patient preferences, and experiences of psychiatrist and neurosurgeon. Future research should provide more insight regarding differences between ABL and DBS and response prediction following direct comparisons between the surgical modalities, to enable personalized and legitimate choices between ABL and DBS.

Long-term Outcome of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Ventral Part of the Anterior Limb of the Internal Capsule in a Cohort of 50 Patients With Treatment-Refractory Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective intervention for patients with severe treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Our aim was to examine long-term effectiveness and tolerability of DBS and its impact on functioning and well-being. METHODS: Fifty patients with severe treatment-refractory OCD received DBS of the ventral part of the anterior limb of the internal capsule and were followed for at least 3 years following implantation (mean 6.8 ± 3 years). Primary effectiveness was assessed by change in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale scores. Secondary effectiveness measures included Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Brief Version, Global Assessment of Functioning, and a scale assessing functioning in work, family, and social life. Adverse effects of DBS were examined with a structured interview (n = 38). RESULTS: At long-term follow-up, OCD symptoms decreased by 39% (p < .001), and half of the patients were responders (≥35% decrease of Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score). Anxiety and depressive symptoms decreased significantly, with reductions of 48% and 50%, respectively. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Brief Version general score improved significantly, as did 3 of 4 subdomains. Both clinician- and patient-rated functioning improved substantially (p < .001). The unemployment rate decreased from 78% at baseline to 58% at last follow-up (z = -1.90, p = .058), and 21 patients stopped or decreased psychotropic medication (z = -2.887, p = .004). Long-term adverse effects included cognitive complaints and fatigue. Serious adverse events included 1 suicide attempt, related to comorbid depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence that DBS of the ventral part of the anterior limb of the internal capsule is effective and tolerable for treatment-refractory OCD in the long term and improves functioning and overall well-being.

Optimizing Deep Brain Stimulation Parameters in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

OBJECTIVES: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an innovative and effective treatment for patients with therapy-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). DBS offers unique opportunities for personalized care, but no guidelines on how to choose effective and safe stimulation parameters in patients with OCD are available. Our group gained relevant practical knowledge on DBS optimization by treating more than 80 OCD patients since 2005, the world's largest cohort. The article's objective is to share this experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We provide guiding principles for optimizing DBS stimulation parameters in OCD and discuss the neurobiological and clinical basis. RESULTS: Adjustments in stimulation parameters are performed in a fixed order. First, electrode contact activation is determined by the position of the electrodes on postoperative imaging. Second, voltage and pulse width are increased stepwise, enlarging both the chance of symptom reduction and of inducing side effects. Clinical evaluation of adjustments in stimulation parameters needs to take into account: 1) the particular temporal sequence in which the various OCD symptoms and DBS side-effects change; 2) the lack of robust response predictors; 3) the limited sensitivity of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale to assess DBS-induced changes in OCD symptoms; and 4) a patient's fitness for additional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CONCLUSIONS: Decision-making in stimulation parameter optimization needs to be sensitive to the particular time-courses on which various symptoms and side effects change.

Protocol Across study: longitudinal transdiagnostic cognitive functioning, psychiatric symptoms, and biological parameters in patients with a psychiatric disorder.

BACKGROUND: Patients with psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder, schizophrenia or obsessive-compulsive disorder, often suffer from cognitive dysfunction. The nature of these dysfunctions and their relation with clinical symptoms and biological parameters is not yet clear. Traditionally, cognitive dysfunction is studied in patients with specific psychiatric disorders, disregarding the fact that cognitive deficits are shared across disorders. The Across study aims to investigate cognitive functioning and its relation with psychiatric symptoms and biological parameters transdiagnostically and longitudinally. METHODS: The study recruits patients diagnosed with a variety of psychiatric disorders and has a longitudinal cohort design with an assessment at baseline and at one-year follow-up. The primary outcome measure is cognitive functioning. The secondary outcome measures include clinical symptoms, electroencephalographic, genetic and blood markers (e.g., fatty acids), and hair cortisol concentration levels. DISCUSSION: The Across study provides an opportunity for a transdiagnostic, bottom-up, data-driven approach of investigating cognition in relation to symptoms and biological parameters longitudinally in patients with psychiatric disorders. The study may help to find new clusters of symptoms, biological markers, and cognitive dysfunctions that have better prognostic value than the current diagnostic categories. Furthermore, increased insight into the relationship among cognitive deficits, biological parameters, and psychiatric symptoms can lead to new treatment possibilities. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): NL8170.

Misophonia: Phenomenology, comorbidity and demographics in a large sample.

OBJECTIVE: Analyze a large sample with detailed clinical data of misophonia subjects in order to determine the psychiatric, somatic and psychological nature of the condition. METHODS: This observational study of 779 subjects with suspected misophonia was conducted from January 2013 to May 2017 at the outpatient-clinic of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location AMC, the Netherlands. We examined DSM-IV diagnoses, results of somatic examination (general screening and hearing tests), and 17 psychological questionnaires (e.g., SCL-90-R, WHOQoL). RESULTS: The diagnosis of misophonia was confirmed in 575 of 779 referred subjects (74%). In the sample of misophonia subjects (mean age, 34.17 [SD = 12.22] years; 399 women [69%]), 148 (26%) subjects had comorbid traits of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, 58 (10%) mood disorders, 31 (5%) attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder, and 14 (3%) autism spectrum conditions. Two percent reported tinnitus and 1% hyperacusis. In a random subgroup of 109 subjects we performed audiometry, and found unilateral hearing loss in 3 of them (3%). Clinical neurological examination and additional blood test showed no abnormalities. Psychological tests revealed perfectionism (97% CPQ>25) and neuroticism (stanine 7 NEO-PI-R). Quality of life was heavily impaired and associated with misophonia severity (rs (184) = -.34 p = < .001, p = < .001). LIMITATIONS: This was a single site study, leading to possible selection-and confirmation bias, since AMC-criteria were used. CONCLUSIONS: This study with 575 subjects is the largest misophonia sample ever described. Based on these results we propose a set of revised criteria useful to diagnose misophonia as a psychiatric disorder.

Efficacy of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Ventral Anterior Limb of the Internal Capsule for Refractory Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Clinical Cohort of 70 Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment option for patients with refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, clinical experience with DBS for OCD remains limited. The authors examined the tolerability and effectiveness of DBS in an open study of patients with refractory OCD. METHODS: Seventy consecutive patients, including 16 patients from a previous trial, received bilateral DBS of the ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule (vALIC) between April 2005 and October 2017 and were followed for 12 months. Primary effectiveness was assessed by the change in scores on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) from baseline until the 12-month follow-up. Response was defined by a ≥35% decrease in Y-BOCS score, partial response was defined by a 25%-34% decrease, and nonresponse was defined by a <25% decrease. Secondary effectiveness measures were the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). RESULTS: Y-BOCS, HAM-A, and HAM-D scores all decreased significantly during the first 12 months of DBS. Twelve months of DBS resulted in a mean Y-BOCS score decrease of 13.5 points (SD=9.4) (40% reduction; effect size=1.5). HAM-A scores decreased by 13.4 points (SD=9.7) (55%; effect size=1.4), and HAM-D scores decreased by 11.2 points (SD=8.8) (54%; effect size=1.3). At the 12-month follow-up, 36 of the 70 patients were categorized as responders (52%), 12 patients as partial responders (17%), and 22 patients as nonresponders (31%). Adverse events included transient symptoms of hypomania, agitation, impulsivity, and sleeping disorders. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the effectiveness and safety of DBS of the vALIC for patients with treatment-refractory OCD in a regular clinical setting.

A Virtual Reality Game to Assess OCD Symptoms.

Background: Symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are often underreported by patients and mainly triggered in the patients private domain, making it harder for clinicians to recognize OCD. Virtual reality (VR) can be used to assess OCD symptoms in the clinician's office. We developed a VR game in order to provoke subjective and physiological OCD symptoms. We hypothesize that (1) the VR game provokes more OCD symptoms in patients compared to healthy controls, (2) performing virtual compulsions leads to a reduction in emotional responses in OCD patients and that (3) the severity of VR game provoked symptoms correlates with severity of OCD symptoms. Methods: Participants played the VR game on a laptop while physiological measures were recorded simultaneously. We measured emotional responses, virtual compulsions and physiological arousal in response to our VR game in 26 OCD patients and 26 healthy controls. We determined correlations between emotional responses, virtual compulsions and OCD severity. Results: We found higher levels of VR-provoked anxiety (U = 179.5, p = 0.004) and virtual compulsions in OCD patients compared to healthy controls (p = 0.001). There was a significant reduction in emotional responses after performing virtual compulsions in the OCD patients. The emotional responses and virtual compulsions did not correlate significantly with Y-BOCS scores. A baseline difference between patients and healthy controls was found in heart rate variability (HRV), but no significant change in HRV, heartrate and skin conductance was found during the VR game Conclusions: Our study clearly shows our OCD VR game is capable of provoking more anxiety and virtual compulsions in patients with OCD compared to healthy controls. Providing a direct patient-rated measurement in the clinicians room, the VR game could help in assessing core OCD symptoms and recognizing OCD. Clinical Trial Registry Number: Netherlands Trial Register NTR5935.

Is deep brain stimulation effective and safe for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder and comorbid bipolar disorder?

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Bipolar disorder (BD) is generally considered a contra-indication for DBS due to frequently reported transient impulsivity or (hypo)mania. OBJECTIVE: The present study is the first study to examine effectiveness and safety of DBS for patients with OCD and BD. METHODS: Five consecutive patients suffering from treatment-refractory OCD with comorbid BD (I or II) underwent DBS of the ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule (vALIC). We examined effectiveness of DBS on symptoms of OCD and depression, using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). We monitored side-effects, in particular DBS-induced (hypo)manic symptoms, using the Young mania rating scale (YMRS). RESULTS: Follow-up time ranged between 15 and 68 months. vALIC-DBS led to a significant improvement of OCD and depressive symptoms. Mean Y-BOCS score decreased from 36.8 (SD 2.4) to 22.4 (SD 9.4). Mean HAM-D score dropped from 24.2 (SD 8.6) to 16.5 (SD 11.3). Transient hypomanic symptoms were observed in 4 out of 5 patients and in 1 patient, hypomanic symptoms resolved by adjusting stimulation and medication. Changes in YMRS scores were not significant. Hypomanic symptoms did not result in admission or lasting adverse consequences. CONCLUSION: DBS effectively alleviates symptoms of OCD and depression in patients with OCD and BD but there is a large risk of developing transient hypomanic symptoms. Altogether, comorbid BD should not be considered as an absolute contra-indication for DBS in OCD patients with comorbid BD, but patients should be monitored carefully during optimization and follow-up of DBS.

Social media and smartphone technology in the symptomatology of OCD.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling and heterogeneous psychiatric disorder. In line with the trend towards globalisation and modern technology, the thematic content of obsessions and compulsions is bound to evolve over time. However, assessment scales such as the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale symptom checklist are not adapted accordingly. By means of two case reports, we would like to introduce social media and smartphone technology in the content of obsessions and compulsions. Our aim is to raise awareness among clinicians of these topics in key symptomatology of OCD and to propose a flexible adaptation of the Y-BOCS symptom checklist. Furthermore, we encourage the development of exposure and response prevention exercises with a focus on social media and smartphone technology.

A Virtual Reality Game to Assess Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

The retrospective and subjective nature of clinical interviews is an important shortcoming of current psychiatric diagnosis. Consequently, there is a clear need for objective and standardized tools. Virtual reality (VR) can be used to achieve controlled symptom provocation, which allows direct assessment for the clinician. We developed a video VR game to provoke and assess obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in a standardized and controlled environment. The first objective was to evaluate if the VR game is capable of provoking symptoms in OCD patients as opposed to healthy controls. The second objective was to evaluate the tolerability of the VR game in OCD patients. The VR game was created using a first-person perspective and confronted patients with 15 OCD-specific items, while simultaneously measuring OCD symptoms, including the number of compulsions, anxiety, tension, uncertainty, and urge to control. In this pilot study, eight patients and eight healthy controls performed the VR game. OCD patients performed significantly more compulsions (U = 5, p = 0.003) during the VR game. The anxiety, tension, uncertainty, and urge to control in response to the specific items were also higher for OCD patients, although significance was not yet reached because of the small sample. There were no substantial adverse effects. The results of this pilot study indicate that the VR game is capable of provoking a variety of OCD symptoms in OCD patients, as opposed to healthy controls, and is a potential valuable tool to objectify and standardize an OCD diagnosis.